Fish guard for irrigation ditches



Sept. 29, 1931. M. wYcKoFF 1,325,159

FISH GUARD FOR IRRIGATION DITCHES Filed April 9. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 )Me ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1931. M. wYcKoFF 1,825,169

FISH GUARD FOR IRl'IGATION BITCHES Filed April 9, 1928 2 SheetswSheeI 2 A i 42 22 2z.4 /9

INVENTOR BY Nun/a [Wye/(aff ATTORNEY K Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITE-D mimmo .vincitori?,or` SEATTLE, WASHINGTON msn GUARD IoxnnIeATIoN Dncnns This invention relates to fishy-guard :devices for canals, or ditcheslwhereinf-waterf is conveyed for-irrigatingf land. 1 f

The main obj ect of the fvention isitorfprovide a device of the charaotervwhichwvill 0bviate the loss Aoff food i'shwn ditches byuintertering with their passage therein andexclude them from the' irrigating' ditchesfproper.

Another object is to* providey a devicewhich is adapted to beemployed for directing =sh from the ditch intakebacktothersouree of the ditchs Watersupply. v

Another `.object isv tocprovideif means: tuaccomplish either( or' bothofitheiabovabjects by means of apparatus Which-vwillgbeof1inexpensive i construction,` l@easy @to 1-1 install, aconvenient to regulate and geilicient'riil'rnse.

More specific objectsi and advantages, of ,the invention will' appear: in Vthe f following tdescription of an embddiinentrofnthe invention now preferredbyme. :The1 invention `consists in the novelx construction, ladaptation and combination of i parts fherenafter fidescribed'an'd claimed.

a plan view of 'devices embodyingimyoinvention shown applied Fig@ is :a plan'iview of the improved f `fish guardato .la largers'caxle shown installed ;l` Figa -3f andteare longitudiis a detail longitudinal vertical section of the aV transverse vertical :section onl brokenfline 6 6 of Fig; 5.

Referring first to thef assemblyt view Fig; 1, the reference numeralf 1() represents? abody of Waterv such as a y' stream` or `river provided water isy supplied 1 'throughHaf 'numeE 1:3 tofa ditch 14 which,V Withf said'ilume, constitutes` a through* which surplus water fisfcarr'ied to the riverlO-b'elowthedam.

In the accompanying draWing's,.-Figuret1iis nal and transverse 'sectionalvievvsf on.' lines 3 3 and 4 4, "respectively,'/of Fig'. '2 ;e Figxf 5 with adam 11; from/above =Which,1as-at 1-2,

. saidwoutletliis, moreover, located above spillway. 1 v` At1or near the connection ofthe tlumel with the iditch' 14,l a side wall ofthe flume is f provided with-an outlet 16' located'V above the 'levelof aplatform\15 and at-.the upstream esldeof'a bulkhead .18 which extends diag- 60. Y, f onally across'the flume as shown. lBelow saidV platform andubulkheadV is. a tunnel 17 which a'ordsu `communication 'between the liiume andthe ditchrandf throughwhich tunrnel all Water forzirrigation purposesmustrVU pass. Said outlet16 communicates with a spillway 19 through which surplus Water is returned to the stream 10.

"Inl the` fiume `in' spacedvupstream relation from the platform= 15 isv an imperforate par- '70 t1ton2() which extends upwardlyffrom the v flume floor 21'to fan elevation higher than `thatof said platform. v

vProvided inthe opening ybetween ther platform vand said partition' is a i grate having a frame comprising side railsl 22 and trans# verse raifls23; one endiof.wliichtrameY is pivotallyconnected in'proximity of the partition 20 to the side Walls of the Hume bymeans of pintles 24; the other, or rearv end, entendi-80 ing into close proximity to saidr l'platform as shown in Fig. 3.V Included in said grate structure and between the side rails 22 of its frame portion'is-a plurality of transversely arranged slots 25'which are connected 'B5 Y at their forward ends,-resp`ectively, by Vmeans ofv pivots 26 to the side rails-of the-traine.v v

The lengths of said slats, longitudinallyof the frame,z is such Athat eachwvill` overlie the Slat next behind,- exceptrwith respect to'90 the yrearmost 'Slat' whichV overlies `an apron plate' 27 which `is pivotally connected as: at 28 to theframe;the"f-ree` rear erd'l of the apron being supported upon 'the platform 15.

The@ foremost ofl thefslats Q5 is, moreover, 95 located-below the vlevel of the. top ofthe partitionQO so that `Water rpaesing'over the partitioniwill have a tendency'T to :flow.progres l sively` over the slats,l subjectito slope of the grateas arwholerandto. the sizes of the:open= 100 ings between the successive slats. The grate openings above referred to are regulated by connecting the free ends of the slats by means of arms 29, one for each slat, which are connected by pivots 30 to a bar 31 having one of its ends connected by a pivot pin 32 to an operating lever 33. This lever is fulcrumed by means of a bolt 34 to a side rail of the grate frame and is adapted to be secured 1n selected positions by means of a stud element 35 of the lever being engaged in any one of a series of holes 36 provided in an extension element 37 of the referred to'side rail. To permit lateral movement of the lever for engaging and disengaging its stud 35, the fulcrum bolt 34 (Fig. 6) is movable endwise in opposition to a spring '38, said spring acting to retain the stud in normal engagep `ment with a selected one `of the holes therefor.

The grate may be regulated as a single piece by swinging the same upwardly Yor downwardly about the axis of pintles 24. As illustrated, such grate regulation is accomplished by means of nuts 39 seated upon a supporting beam 40 and engaging screw threaded rods 41 extending through said beam and having their lower ends connected to arm elements 43 of the side rails 22 provided on the grate near its rear end.

In operation water is admitted through the fiume so as to flow over the top of the partition, some of such water fiowing over the entire length of the grate, onto the platform 15 from whence it escapes through the spillway 19 back to the stream 10. The remainder of the water or that which does not escape through said spillway, finds its way through .the apertures intermittent the grate slats,

falling into the flume therebelow and thence through the tunnel into the ditch 14 to be eventually utilized for irrigating land. The proportion of water carried over the grate to the quantity withdrawn for use in the ditch is determined by two factors: (1) the slope or inclination of the grate from the horizontal, and (2) to the effective sizes of the opening between the successive slats-the larger the openings, the greater the amount of water falling therethrough. The slats 25 are directed downstream and. in consequence1 fish are usually swept over the top of the grate.

Fish which habitually oppose the current are prevented from passing through the interstices of the grate by regulating the slats thereof so as to provide spaces between the same insufficient to accommodate the fish.

What I claim, isi 1. A fish guard device for use in an irrigation ditch having 'a Vside outlet in spaced relation above the fioor of the ditch, said device comprising a partition for closing the lower portion of the ditch and in upstream spaced relation from said outlet, a grate extending rearwardly from said partition, said grate being provided with transversely arranged slats, said grate being pivotally supported at its upstream end, means provided for raising and lowering the rear end of the grate to adjust the slope of the latter, a horizontally arranged partit-ion provided at the downstream end of said grate, transverse angularly disposed directive means cooperating therewith for conducting water passing over the entire length of the grate into the side opening of the ditch, and an apron pivoted to said grate at the downstream end thereof and having its free end slidable over said horizontal partition, for sealing the downstream end of the grate with respect thereto, said waterconducting means permitting the unobstructed flow of irrigating water from said grate in the ditch.

2. A fishguard device for use in an irrigation ditch having a side out-let in spaced relation above the fioor of the ditch, said device comprising a partition for closing the lower portion of the ditch and in upstream spaced relation from said outlet, a grate having its upstream end pivotally suspended in close proximity to said partition, the downstream end of said grate depending in an inclined slope therebelow, said grate being provided with transversely arranged sl ats, means provided at the downstream end of said grate for conducting water passing over the entire length of the grate into the side opening of the ditch, said water 'conducting means permitting the unobstructed ffow of irrigating water from said grate in the ditch, and means acting to maintain aseal between said water conducting means and the grate.

3. A fish guard device for use in an irrigation ditchihaving a side outlet in spaced relation above the fioor of the ditch, said device comprising a part-itionfor closing the lower portion of the ditch'and in upstream spaced relation from said outlet, a grate extending rearwardly from said partition, said grate beingv provided with transversely arranged overlapping slats, means for adjusting said slats for regulating the effective sizes of the interstices therebetween, means including a horizontally disposed partition provided at the downstream end of the grate communicatively arranged with respect to said outlet, an apron carried by said grate at the downstream end thereof, and means provided for raising and lowering the rear'end of the grate, said apron being adapted for riding engagement over said partition in selected of said elevated and lowered positions.

4. A fish guard device for use in an irrigation ditch having a side outlet in spaced relation above the floor of the same, said eevice comprising means including a horizontally disposed partition disposed in spaced relationto the ditch floor and communicating with said outlet, a longitudinally arranged downwardly inclined movable grate having means at the lower end thereof adapted to seal the same with respect to said partition, and means constituting a transversely disposed partition arranged at the upper end of said grate adapted to supply waer to flow over the grate from said upper en 5. A fish guard device for use in an irrigation ditch, said device comprising closure means to the lower portion of the ditch, a horizontally disposed partition disposed in downstream spaced relation below said closure means, a grate comprising overlapping slats arranged coextensively between said partition and closure, means to regulate the ef fective sizes of the interstices between said slats, means to regulate the declination of said grate from said closure, and means pivoted with respect to the downstream end of the grate adapted to seal the lowermost end thereof with respect to said partition.

6. A fish guard device for an irrigation ditch, said device comprising a grate includ- Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 27th day of February 1928. Y

MUNRO WYCKOFF.

ing overlapping slats, said grate being art ranged longitudinally in a declination to the directive travel of the ditch stream, a means to supply water to How over the grate from the upper end thereof, a horizontally disposed partition adjacent the downstream end of the grate, means to elevate and lower said downstream end of the grate, and means suspended from said downstream end of the grate and adapted to rest on said partition whereby water passing over all the slats of said grate is fed to an outlet communicatively arranged with respect to said partition.

7. A fish guard device for an irrigation ditch, said device comprising means for closing the lower portion of the ditch, a grate eXn tending rearwardly from said closure means and arranged with respect thereto such that water supplied from the ditch entrance is caused to flow over the same, an outlet arranged in spaced disposition downstream from said closure means, means disposed transversely of the ditch communicating with said outlet, means to elevate and lower the grate to vary the declination thereof, and means pivotally supported by said grate and adapted for sliding engagement with respect to said outlet-communicating` means for directing the flow of water passing over the length of the grate to the same.

8. A fish guard device for an irrigation ditch, said device comprising means for closing the lower portion of the ditch, a grate extending rearwardly from said closure means and arranged with respect thereto such that Water supplied from the ditch entrance is caused to flow over the same, an outlet arranged in spaced disposition down stream from said closure means, means disposed transversely of the ditch communicat- 

